Storage system

ABSTRACT

A multi-level storage system in which a plurality of storage units are supported in side by side relation, and are movable laterally with respect to one another to open and close aisles therebetween and provide access to various ones of the storage units, said storage units being provided with support means which support fixed flooring panels. In preferred embodiments of the invention the flooring panels extend through aligned storage units so that the storage units may be moved longitudinally of the flooring panels, and access to upper portions of the storage units is gained by walking on the flooring panels. Means are disclosed to bridge openings between the panels, such means being opened and closed by the movement of the storage units. A suspended storage unit is also disclosed.

Farren [451 Aug. 13, 1974 1 1 STORAGE SYSTEM [76] Inventor: Paul Lester Farren, 309

Westminster, Houston, Tex. 77024 [22] Filed: June 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 260,892

[52] US. Cl 104/88, 214/38 BA [51] Int. Cl 861k 1/00 [58] Field of Search 104/88, 89, 91, 123, 124,

104/125, 126, 137, 118-121; 214/38 BA, 6 P; 221/6; 312/249, 250, 107, 199-203 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-D. W. Keen Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Murray Robinson; Ned L. Conley; David Alan Rose 1 57 1 ABSTRACT A multi-level storage system in which a plurality of storage units are supported in side by side relation, and are movable laterally with respect to one another to open and close aisles therebetween and provide access to various ones of the storage units, said storage units being provided with support means which support fixed flooring panels. In preferred embodiments of the invention the flooring panels extend through aligned storage units so that the storage units may be moved longitudinally of the flooring panels, and access to upper portions of the storage units is gained by walking on the flooring panels. Means are disclosed to bridge openings between the panels, such means being opened and closed by the movement of the storage units. A suspended storage unit is also disclosed.

20 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENIED we 1 31-974 sum 1 or 4 STORAGE SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to laterally movable storage units.

2. Description of the Prior Art As shown, for example, in US. Pat. Nos. 2,915,195 to Crosby; 3,168,361 to Naito; 2,762,515 to Ingold; 3,198,592 to Zippel; 3,566,802 to Lundyvist; 3,055,313 to Stoll et al., 3,080,204 to Lindhgrcn; 3,186,355 to Stoll et 211.; 3,541,966 to Greaves, 3,567,299 to Lundgvist, 2,654,489 to Ingold; and 3,162,144 to Ingold; it has heretofore been known to mount storage units on rollers which 'run on tracks or rails so that the storage unit, such as filing cabinets, shelves, bins and the like, can be stored immediately adjacent each other without aisles being provided between each pair of units for access to materials stored therein. If access to a particular unit is required, the units are merely moved on the rollers along the tracks to expose the desired unit for access. Thus, in such installations, it is not necessary to have an aisle alongside each storage unit and the usable storage space may be increased by 50 percent or more.

In such storage systems as have heretofore been known, the height of a unit is limited to the height which can be reached by personnel standing on the warehouse floor. Normally this height is 7 feet, which is the maximum height that can be reached conveniently without the aid of some mechanical device. In many warehouses the ceiling may be from to feet above the top of conventional type storage bins. Normally this space is not utilized since it cannot be reached by warehouse personnel due to its height above the floor of the warehouse. Since the cost of storage is generally based on the square footage of the floor area, the greater the utilization of the space, the lower will be the net cost for storage.

In order to reach materials stored at elevations above 7 feet, ladders and step stools have been used. Also various elevator type mechanisms, such as shown, for example, in US. Pat. Nos. 3,313,449 to Parks; 3,420,389 to Gustetic et al.; and 3,554,391 to Goodell; have been used to gain access to storage units which extend above the 7 foot height that personnel can reach from the floor.

It will be appreciated that it is difficult and time consuming to utilize a ladder or elevator in a system such as the Crosby system, where storage units are moved along tracks to open an aisle space adjacent a particular unit to which access is required. Thus laterally movable equipment has normally been limited in use to an access height of about 7 feet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides means by which substantially the entire vertical available space in a warehouse or other area can be utilized with laterally movable storage units. Access to portions of the units above the 7 foot height is gained by means of a fixed platform which is at least partially supported on the mobile storage units themselves. The platform may comprise a plurality of parallel floor panels which are supported on rollers on the storage units, the storage units in turn being supported on rollers engaging the building structure. Thus the storage units may be moved laterally with respect of the building structure and at the same time with respect to the floor panels to open an aisle at a desired location for access to a particular storage unit. Personnel may then walk on the floor panels to any desired storage unit.

Other features of the invention pointed out in the claims can best be illustrated by the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Certain preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing wherein;

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic plan view of a storage system according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a storage system according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 4, taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the invention; 1

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view, taken at line 77 of FIG. 6, of the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view, taken at line 8-8 of FIG. 7, of the embodiment of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of still another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a plurality of storage units 10a to 10a, 12a to 12s, 14a to 14a and 16a to l6e are positioned between wide storage units 18 and 20, and are movable in the direction of the arrow 22 along the tracks 24 mounted on the floor 26 of a warehouse or the like. The units 18 and 20 may be stationary units, or if desired these may also be made movable along the tracks.

Floor panels 28 extend through each of the storage units, and may be supported at their ends on stationary storage units such as the storage unit 18 or on the walls of the building to form a platform on which personnel may stand to gain access to the upper portions of the storage units. The floor panels may be made of steel grating or other suitable flooring material and are spaced apart for a reason which will hereinafter appear. Alongside the group of storage units which have just been described, a walkway 30 is provided on substantially the level of the floor panels 28, and a stairway 32 is provided which leads from the floor of the warehouse to the walkway 30. The walkway 30 may be supported on any convenient support, such as a building wall or suitable posts, or may be supported on the storage units in the same manner as the floor panels 28.

As shown in FIG. 1, the walkway may extend between the system of storage units just described and a similar system 34. It will be apparent that walkways and storage systems may be arranged as desired for economical use of the space available.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 for a showing of one manner of supporting the flooring panels according to this invention. As there shown, the storage units 10c,

10d and le each comprises an upper storage space 36 and a lower storage space 38, the two storage spaces being spaced apart and connected together by vertical support members 40 and 42. The vertical support members provide means for rotatably mounting rollers 44 or wheels 46. As shown in the drawing, the flooring panels 28 rest directly on the rollers 44 or, through rails 48, on the wheels 46.

The support members also carry at their lower ends brackets 50 upon which are rotatably mounted wheels 52 which are proportioned for engagement with the rails 24, so that the wheels may roll along the rails.

It will be appreciated that the storage spaces 36 and 38 may comprise shelves, cabinets, bins or other forms of storage units well known in the art for suitable storage of materials as desired therein. The term storage is not intended to be limiting as to types of things which are stored, or as to time of storage, but may include floored areas for use of people or equipment, which may or may not be stationary thereon, and may include storage for very short periods of time or for long periods. Generally, therefore, any laterally movable support means which has the capability of providing temporary or permanent storage may constitute a storage unit.

Referring now to FIG. 1 it will be seen that access to any one of the storage units is readily obtained by moving storage units laterally along the rails 24, as, for example, storage unit 12b is shown being moved in the direction of the arrow 22 in order to gain access to the storage unit 12a. If it is desired to reach storage unit a, then unit 12a is moved laterally in the direction of the arrow 22. Access to either the upper'storage space 36 or the lower storage space 38 is readily obtained, since the platform formed by the floor panels 28 can be positioned at a height of approximately 7 feet above the warehouse floor, and personnel can reach the storage spaces 36 by walking across the platfrom formed by these floor panels to the desired storage unit. As seen, the support for the flooring panels is provided in large part by the storage units themselves, thereby avoiding the necessity of providing fixed support posts to support the platform. Thus the cost of construction of a second floor is substantially reduced, and in addition it is not necessary to design storage units to avoid support posts for the second floor. A substantially greater proportion of the available storage volume can therefore be used without major reconstruction of the warehouse.

It will be apparent that instead of the smaller storage units 10a, 10b, etc., large storageunits such as the unit can be used. Other types of storage units well known in the art, such as cantilevered units, modular stacked units or end panel units, may also be used. A suitable number of support posts and rollers can be utilized in such units to insure adequate support for the flooring panels.

In a normal construction where one or more upper floors are constructed, it is necessary that each upper floor be made strong enough to support all of the storage materials on that floor. However, in the design of this invention the platform formed by the flooring panels 28 does not support any of the stored material, but instead the stored material is supported on the support members 40 and 42 of the storage units, and the flooring panels of the upper floors support only their own weight and the weight of personnel walking thereon, or other temporary loads.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a solid floor 54 is supported on lower storage units 56 by means of wheels 58, the units 56 being in turn supported on the warehouse floor 60 by means of wheels 62 which may, for example, engage grooves 64 in the floor of the-warehouse. Alternatively, the wheels may run on rails. Additional storage units 66 rest on the floor 54, suitable grooves 68 being provided in the floor to receive the wheels 70 supporting the upper storage units. In this embodiment of the invention the floor 54 may be supported by the walls 72, 74 of the warehouse, as shown in FIG. 4, as well'as on the storage unit 56. As shown, in such an installation two or more aisles 76, 78 may be provided between the upper storage units 66, and similarly two or more aisles 80, 82 may be provided between the lower storage units 56. The presence of such aisles does not substantially detract from the support of the floor 54, since support rollers on the storage units 56 adjacent the aisles provide support on each side of the aisle. Thus the floor is provided with -a plurality of closely spaced support members to insure low strength.

With such a system, where the ceiling 84 of the warehouse is, for example, 15 feet from the floor of the warehouse, substantially the entire volume of the warehouse can be filled with storage units which are readily accessible to personnel without the use of elevators or ladders or the like. Thus the warehouse has approximately twice the capacity for storage that it would have had with only single level storage.

It will be appreciated that where the vertical distances available are higher, the storage units of this invention maybe utilized to provide three or more levels of accessibility rather than only two as shown in the drawing. It will also be appreciated that the floor 54 in the embodiment of FIG. 4 might well be used as a floor for offices or for other purposes other than storage of units 66. Similarly, two levels of storage units 56 and 66 might be used, and if sufficient vertical space is available, a similar floor 54 may be mounted on top of the storage unit 66, with rollers similar to the rollers 58 supporting this floor. Also, such a floor may be supported on top of the storage units of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13.

FIG. 9 depicts another embodiment of the invention wherein the storage units 86, 88 are supported from overhead structure such as joists or beams 90. In this embodiment channels or tracks 92 are welded or otherwise fastened to the joists and rollers 94 rotatably mounted on the storage units support the storage units in these tracks. Alternatively, the rollers may run on the flanges of I-beams. The storage units are provided with vertical support members 96 which extend to the lower end of each storage unit. Each storage unit is divided into an upper storage space 98 and a lower storage space 100. A flooring panel 102 passes through each storage unit between the upper and lower storage spaces, and is supported on rollers 104 which may, for example, be received in channels 106 forming tracks for the rollers.

As shown, lower floor panels 110 are, in the embodiment shown, supported beneath the lower storage spaces by means of rollers 112 carried on the lower ends of the support rods 96. These rollers may also be received in channels 114 fastened to the bottom of the flooring panels.

A ceiling 116 may be supported by the channels 114 to provide a ceiling for space 118 between the ceiling and the floor 120 of the warehouse. Adequate space may be left between the floor 120 and the ceiling 116 for personnel to move around, and the space may, for example, be used as office space or for other purposes. Thus in this embodiment of the invention the upper portion of the warehouse space may be utilized for all of the storage requirements whereas the lower portion may be utilized for other business purposes.

Alternatively, the suspension system of FIG. 9 may be used to support storage units which extend downwardly to near the warehouse floor. In such an event, the lower floor panels 110 are not required.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, as well as that of FIG. 9, it is apparent that openings are left between adjacent flooring panels. Slnce these openings may hamper personnel attempting to walk across the platform formed by the flooring panels, means are provided, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, to selectively cover the openings in the aisle spaces. Thus as best seen in FIG. 7, a plurality of hinged flaps or bridge sections 122 are provided to rest on ledges 124 and 126 on adjacent flooring panels 28, the flaps being connected to one of the flooring panels by means of hinges 130.

In the embodiment shown, the support members 40 and 42 are spaced away from the forward and rear edges of the storage units, as, for example, the units c, 10d and 10e shown in FIG. 6; however, in other embodiments, the support members may be adjacent the edges. Lifting devices, such as rods 132 are fastened to the support members 42 as by welding and may comprise a horizontal portion 134 and end finger portions 136 and 138. The end finger portions extend outwardly and downwardly to below the level of the flaps 122 within the outer limits of the storage unit.

Similarly, a bar 140 is attached to each support member and has finger portions 142 and 144 thereon extending downwardly to below the flaps l22-in the embodiment shown, within the outer limits of the storage unit. The members 132 and 140 are placed on the side of the support members adjacent the hinges of the flaps 122. Thus, as may be seen in the drawing, as a storage unit moves along a flooring panel the finger portion 136, for example, engages the flaps and causes them to be cammed upwardly. As the storage unit continues to move the flaps ride along the horizontal portion 134 of the rod 132. As the storage unit passes a flap it slides down the finger portion 138 and returns to horizontal position.

As seen in FIG. 6, if the storage unit 10d is the one which is being moved, the flaps between it and unit l0e would already be raised part way by the bar 132. The bar 140 would then engage these flaps and raise them further. On the other side the flaps between unit 10d and unit 100 will already be raised to the position shown in solid lines by the bar 140, so that the bar 132 would not engage these flaps.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the mobile storage units of this invention may be moved by 6 ized system which might be used is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,168,361 to Naito. In addition, it may be desired in some instances to slope the rails so that the units will normally move by gravity to keep a desired area clear.

Safety devices known in the art may be utilized to prevent movement of the units if personnel are in an aisle. One such safety device is shown in the aforesaid patent to Naito.

Many other variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described herein, but only as set forth by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A storage system comprising a fixed platform at least partially supported by a mobile storage unit, said platform extending through said storage unit so that said storage unit so that said storage unit is both above and below said platform, and wherein the platform comprises a plurality of parallel, spacedapart elongate panels,

each panel rests upon a plurality of storage units, and

each storage unit includes support members extending from below the platform to above the platform through the spaces between adjacent panels, to provide support for storage above the platform.

2. A storage system as defined by claim 1 wherein said storage units are mounted on floor-engageable rollers, and said platform panels rest on rollers mounted on the storage units.

3. A storage system as defined by claim 2 and including a plurality of bridge sections pivotably mounted on the edge of one of said panels for pivoting between a horizontal position covering the adjacent space between panels and a vertical position allowing for the passage of said support members through said space.

4. A storage system as defined by claim 3, and including means operable upon the movement of a storage unit along a panel toward a bridge section to cause said bridge section to be raised to a substantially vertical position, and

means operable upon movement of a storage unit away from a bridge section to move said bridge section to horizontal position.

5. A storage system as defined by claim 4, wherein said means comprises finger means mounted on each storage unit engageable with said bridge sections.

6. A storage system comprising a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by a mobile storage unit,

support means for supporting said storage unit from an overhead beam, and means on said support means engaging the fixed floor panel for horizontal movement relative thereto and providing support for said fixed floor panel, and another storage unit suspended on said support means below said fixed floor panel. 7. A storage system as defined by elaim 6 and includmg another fixed platform supported beneath said other storage unit, and

means on said support means engaging the other platform for horizontal movement relative thereto and providing support for said other platform.

8. A storage system as defined by claim 7 and includmg a fixed ceiling support by said support means beneath said other platform.

9. A storage system comprising a plurality of laterally movable storage units, each having an upper storage portion and a lower storage portion,

a fixed platform comprising a plurality of floor panels extending between the upper and lower portions of said storage units, and

means on said storage units rollably supporting said floor panels.

10. A storage unit as defined by claim 9 wherein said platform is supported at a substantial distance above the bottom of said lower portions, whereby personnel may walk beneath said platform to gain access to said lower portions, and walk on said platform to gain access to said upper portions.

11. A storage system comprising a mobile storage unit,

a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by said mobile storage unit wherein said floor panel is entirely without the storage volume of said mobile storage unit such that said floor panel does not alter or otherwise affect the storage volume during movement of the storage unit, and

wherein partial support is accomplished by means of rollers which are configured such that the storage volume of the mobile storage unit is in no way affected by the movement of the storage unit with respect to the floor panel.

12. A storage system comprising a plurality of mobile storage units,

a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by said plurality of mobile storage units wherein said floor panel is entirely without the storage volume of said mobile storage units, and

another plurality of mobile storage units resting upon said fixed floor panel.

13. A storage system as defined by claim 12 wherein the first named storage units are mounted on floorengageable rollers, said fixed floor panel rests upon rollers mounted on the first-named storage units, and the latter storage units are mounted on fixed panel engaging rollers.

14. A storage system comprising a mobile storage unit,

a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by said mobile storage unit wherein said floor panel is entirely without the storage volume of said mobile storage unit, support means for supporting said storage unit from an overhead beam, and

means on said support means engaging the fixed floor panel and permitting horizontal movement relative thereto and for providing support for said floo panel.

15. A storage system comprising a floor. 1

a floor panel spaced above said floor a distance sufficient for personnel to walk below the floor panel,

means fixing said floor panel against lateral movement, and

a plurality of storage units, each including rolling support means supportingly engaging said floor panel to support the floor panel at its position spaced above said floor, and

means forming a storage space available for use as storage while the storage unit provides support for the floor panel.

16. A storage system as defined by claim 15,

the storage units being of such size and number with respect to the floor panel as to provide for the formation of a movable aisle.

17. A storage system comprising a floor,

a plurality of storage units horizontally movably supported on said floor,

a second floor fixed against lateral movement resting on top of the storage unit, said storage units being movable laterally between said floors while supportingly engaging the second floor and functioning to store materials.

18. A storage system as defined by claim 17 and including another plurality of storage units horizontally movably supported on said second floor.

19. A storage system for use in a building having an overhead beam spaced above the floor, comprising a plurality of storage units horizontally movably supported from said overhead beam, and

a second floor fixed against lateral movement supported substantially above the building floor on said storage units.

20. A storage system for use in a building having a floor and fixed vertical supports comprising a floor panel spaced above said floor a distance sufficient for personnel to walk below the floor panel, portions of said floor panel engaging said vertical supports whereby the vertical supports fix the floor panel against lateral movement and provide support for the floor panel, and

a plurality of storage units, each including rolling support means supportingly engaging said floor panel to provide partial support for the floor panel intermediate the vertical support, and

means forming a storage space available for use as storage while the storage unit provides support for the floor panel. 

1. A storage system comprising a fixed platform at least partially supported by a mobile storage unit, said platform extending through said storage unit so that said storage unit so that said storage unit is both above and below said platform, and wherein the platform comprises a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart elongate panels, each panel rests upon a plurality of storage units, and each storage unit includes support members extending from below the platform to above the platform through the spaces between adjacent panels, to provide support for storage above the platform.
 2. A storage system as defined by claim 1 whErein said storage units are mounted on floor-engageable rollers, and said platform panels rest on rollers mounted on the storage units.
 3. A storage system as defined by claim 2 and including a plurality of bridge sections pivotably mounted on the edge of one of said panels for pivoting between a horizontal position covering the adjacent space between panels and a vertical position allowing for the passage of said support members through said space.
 4. A storage system as defined by claim 3, and including means operable upon the movement of a storage unit along a panel toward a bridge section to cause said bridge section to be raised to a substantially vertical position, and means operable upon movement of a storage unit away from a bridge section to move said bridge section to horizontal position.
 5. A storage system as defined by claim 4, wherein said means comprises finger means mounted on each storage unit engageable with said bridge sections.
 6. A storage system comprising a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by a mobile storage unit, support means for supporting said storage unit from an overhead beam, and means on said support means engaging the fixed floor panel for horizontal movement relative thereto and providing support for said fixed floor panel, and another storage unit suspended on said support means below said fixed floor panel.
 7. A storage system as defined by claim 6 and including another fixed platform supported beneath said other storage unit, and means on said support means engaging the other platform for horizontal movement relative thereto and providing support for said other platform.
 8. A storage system as defined by claim 7 and including a fixed ceiling support by said support means beneath said other platform.
 9. A storage system comprising a plurality of laterally movable storage units, each having an upper storage portion and a lower storage portion, a fixed platform comprising a plurality of floor panels extending between the upper and lower portions of said storage units, and means on said storage units rollably supporting said floor panels.
 10. A storage unit as defined by claim 9 wherein said platform is supported at a substantial distance above the bottom of said lower portions, whereby personnel may walk beneath said platform to gain access to said lower portions, and walk on said platform to gain access to said upper portions.
 11. A storage system comprising a mobile storage unit, a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by said mobile storage unit wherein said floor panel is entirely without the storage volume of said mobile storage unit such that said floor panel does not alter or otherwise affect the storage volume during movement of the storage unit, and wherein partial support is accomplished by means of rollers which are configured such that the storage volume of the mobile storage unit is in no way affected by the movement of the storage unit with respect to the floor panel.
 12. A storage system comprising a plurality of mobile storage units, a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by said plurality of mobile storage units wherein said floor panel is entirely without the storage volume of said mobile storage units, and another plurality of mobile storage units resting upon said fixed floor panel.
 13. A storage system as defined by claim 12 wherein the first named storage units are mounted on floor-engageable rollers, said fixed floor panel rests upon rollers mounted on the first-named storage units, and the latter storage units are mounted on fixed panel engaging rollers.
 14. A storage system comprising a mobile storage unit, a fixed floor panel at least partially supported by said mobile storage unit wherein said floor panel is entirely without the storage volume of said mobile storage unit, support means for supporting said storaGe unit from an overhead beam, and means on said support means engaging the fixed floor panel and permitting horizontal movement relative thereto and for providing support for said floor panel.
 15. A storage system comprising a floor, a floor panel spaced above said floor a distance sufficient for personnel to walk below the floor panel, means fixing said floor panel against lateral movement, and a plurality of storage units, each including rolling support means supportingly engaging said floor panel to support the floor panel at its position spaced above said floor, and means forming a storage space available for use as storage while the storage unit provides support for the floor panel.
 16. A storage system as defined by claim 15, the storage units being of such size and number with respect to the floor panel as to provide for the formation of a movable aisle.
 17. A storage system comprising a floor, a plurality of storage units horizontally movably supported on said floor, a second floor fixed against lateral movement resting on top of the storage unit, said storage units being movable laterally between said floors while supportingly engaging the second floor and functioning to store materials.
 18. A storage system as defined by claim 17 and including another plurality of storage units horizontally movably supported on said second floor.
 19. A storage system for use in a building having an overhead beam spaced above the floor, comprising a plurality of storage units horizontally movably supported from said overhead beam, and a second floor fixed against lateral movement supported substantially above the building floor on said storage units.
 20. A storage system for use in a building having a floor and fixed vertical supports comprising a floor panel spaced above said floor a distance sufficient for personnel to walk below the floor panel, portions of said floor panel engaging said vertical supports whereby the vertical supports fix the floor panel against lateral movement and provide support for the floor panel, and a plurality of storage units, each including rolling support means supportingly engaging said floor panel to provide partial support for the floor panel intermediate the vertical support, and means forming a storage space available for use as storage while the storage unit provides support for the floor panel. 